Thursday, April 24, 2014

We leave for London in
just over 2 weeks! My excitement has now turned into nervousness. Everything
thing from what suitcase to bring to getting an outlet converter has been
stressing me out. What do I pack in my carry on and what do I pack in my check
in bag? How many nice outfits do I need? Can I wear nice dresses? What if it is
raining or is windy then I probably should not wear a dress. Should I buy a new
pair of shoes and try to break them in before I leave? What purse should I
bring?

These are some of the many questions I ask
myself every day.Dr. Tracy Nobiling has
been very helpful in trying to prepare us for this adventure across the sea.
She has filled us in on everything from pub culture to giving us a study abroad
checklist. She has told us many stories from previous years, both good and bad,
but mostly positives to try and calm our nervousness and to give us an idea about what
to expect. Traveling with a small group of only 10 students will hopefully give
us an advantage over larger groups and be a little less stressful.

It is sad to say that I have only picked out
a suitcase and a backpack to bring. I did come to the conclusion that I will use
my small backpack as a carry on and also as a means to keep by purse in. I have
to keep in mind that my small backpack has to be less than 18x14x8. One of my
many fears is buying too much stuff and I having no place to put it. I need to
realize that I have to leave room in both my suitcase and my carry on plus
maintain a 51 pound or lower weight for my suitcase.

I need to start packing, or at least decide
what clothes I am going to bring. This will alleviate my stress levels some.I need to also realize that even if I forget
something I can more than likely just buy it while I am there. Communicating
with other students has been a big help in making some decisions thus far, and
I am excited to enjoy this experience with them. Hopefully, by my next blog I
will be more organized because it will be almost time to depart! Below is a picture of the London study abroad group for 2014!

Monday, April 14, 2014

Globalization is an ongoing concept that has been
happening for many generations and will continue until the end of time. Of
course, it has both negative and positive viewpoints. In the world we live in,
it is common to see products from one country in another country.Importing and exporting of goods and name
brands are spreading like wildfire in the concept called globalization.
Interacting with other countries has caused global competition and loss of
culture, to name a few.

Positive
viewpoints would include greater array of foreign goods, developing countries
having the benefits of current technology, and global competition encourages
creativity. You walk down the street in any city, or walk into a random store,
and there is definitely something in there that is from a different country.
Developing countries have the benefit of using the current technology that has
been invented by others without the stress and hardship of developing it
themselves. Global competition encourages creativity because most people want
the best of something. When inventing something you need the creativity and
good use of innovation to try to make it the best product of that kind due to
others trying to make a profit off the same product.

Negative effects
include outsourcing, loss of culture, and greater spread of disease.Outsourcing has huge negative effects, one of
the reasons for this that it may be cheaper to make a product in one country
rather than the country it is currently in. Therefore, the manufacturer may
move to another country causing those workers to lose their jobs. Globalization
is causing an interest of sharing cultures and innovations which leads to a
loss of culture. If we, as a planet, are interacting more than ever then we are
making the journey to other countries. For example, if I were to contract a
disease in the states and go on a vacation to a foreign country, I have the
chance of bringing that disease to a country that was not yet exposed to it.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

For you that don’t know what ethnocentrism is,
according to Wikipedia, it is the tendency to believe that one’s ethnic or
cultural group is centrally important, and that all other groups are measured
in relations to one’s own. There are
both positive and negative viewpoints of ethnocentrism. Positive viewpoints
would include that you are proud of who you are and where you came from and
have a sense of society. It can be negative because you may be locked on the
viewpoint that you have the best cultural group and you are not openly willing
to understand another’s culture.

If you are
to stay within certain cultural norms less conflict within the group and
tension is to arise because you believe in the same concepts. Also, ethnocentric
groups are less likely to be influenced by external forces because of their
strong beliefs within their culture. If
you feel a part of society you then have a sense of belonging. There is nothing
wrong with thinking your cultural groups are centrally important, but once you
start comparing it to your own is when it becomes somewhat dangerous.

Negative
viewpoints of ethnocentrism include lack of diverseness and innovation.If the group is the same they lack
diverseness, and this can lead to lack of innovation. If everyone is the same
how are they to grow as a group? Lack of innovation and diverseness can lead to
misinterpreting outside groups because of unwillingness to communicate.
Unwillingness to communicate can lead to lack of knowledge of other beliefs of
different cultures. Ultimately, this may
lead to hostility towards others.

There are definitely good and bad qualities
to ethnocentrism, but learning to balance your beliefs with others is the main
goal.When I depart from London, I am
going to get culture shock, as most people in the group will. It will not be
what we are accustomed to; therefore, we need to embrace it while we are there
and not be judgmental and comparative to our own. I love learning about other
cultures and actually experiencing it is going to be incredible. It is going to
be an amazing experience and I cannot wait!

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Americans have both good and bad stereotypes, but we
are mostly known for our bad stereotypes. No matter where we go we are normally
picked out immediately as being U.S Americans. We are obnoxious, we like to
talk loud, and make ourselves known. This is considered very rude in other
countries, but we Americans, are unique. Violence is not uncommon in America. Our
police officers carry guns and other weapons, normal citizens carry around
pocket knives and even pepper spray. Especially in Nebraska, almost every male
carries around something that can be used as a weapon and we, as Nebraskans,
don’t think twice about it, because we consider it normal. Of course, in London
these things are illegal. Bad manners, oh man! I don’t even know where to
start. Growing up in a military family has allowed me to live in many different
states, and even different states having different norms of manners. Not all
people have horrible manners; to me it depends on how you were raised. When I
think of good American manners I think of being friendly and making
conversation with the person sitting next to you and standing close when having
a conversation, but these may not be good manners in London.

To beat
these American stereotypes, we need to remain respectful of our surroundings by
talking quietly, yet staying engaged in the conversation. Violence is not a
stereotype of each individual American, but rather of the country as a whole.
Don’t bring pepper spray or pocket knives with you to a different country and
your problem may be solved. Avoiding obnoxiousness can include talking quietly,
as listed above, and not attracting attention. Not attracting attention to
yourself will lessen your chances of being a stereotypical American. Nothing
screams American tourist like bad manners. Get some manners people! Even living
in America I notice how horrible our manners are and I haven’t really been
exposed to another’s culture before. Researching appropriate and inappropriate
manners for a country you are planning on visiting will help eliminate this
problem.

On a
positive note! American positive stereotypes include generosity, friendliness,
and being optimistic! Americans are considered to be very generous; we like to
give things to people in need! To show friendliness, Americans like to
communicate with people and are open-hearted. “I’m just living the American dream”
is the first thing that comes to mind when I think about optimism. Americans
like to dream big even if the dream seems unrealistic; to Americans, no dream
is unrealistic! Go big or go home. (:

My name is Jessica Orose, and I am currently a
sophomore, but I will be a junior at the time of departure. I am a Criminal
Justice major with an emphasis in Juvenile Justice and a minor in Psychology at
Chadron State College.When I was a
senior in high school I came to Chadron on a school visit, during a
conversation with the professors, London got brought up. Not even five minutes
into the conversation I knew London was where I wanted to study abroad! I love
learning about new cultures, and traveling the world. Why not do both of these
things while also getting school credit for it?! It will be something incredible
to add to my résumé and remember for the rest of my life. Going to London will
allow me to expand my knowledge of different ways the criminal justice system
operates around the world. Understanding and being exposed to another culture
allows me to have a worldly view, which will lead to figuring out what defines
those people, for instance: values, religion, and interaction within the
culture and their customs.

Not only
will I have the opportunity to go to London, I will also be visiting Paris for
a day!The time of departure, May 11,
will be here before I know it. Honestly, I have not made a list yet of what I would like to do yet, but going
to the London Eye would definitely be on the list, along with visiting the
Windsor Castle. I am up for anything though! I know that anywhere I go I would
just be blown away by the oldness of the city (compared to the United States)
and its amazing architecture. Just keep in mind, London was founded in 43 AD. It’s going to be unreal! I am beyond on
excited for this experience and that I get to share it with you. (: